Pte 26640 Walter Edward Linton

• Age: 19
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 18th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Walter Edward Linton was born on the 01st March, 1897 in Liverpool, the son of Henry and Harriet(nee Woods) Linton who were married at Holy Trinity, Parr Mount, St Helens in 1889. Walter was baptised on the 03rd May, 1897 at St Peter’s C. of E. Church, Liverpool. 

He was educated at Breckfield School, Liverpool and Bluecoat School in Wavertree.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Walter living at 76 Thirlmere Road, Anfield Liverpool.

His father, Henry, is aged 31, born in the USA in 1870 and occupation General Labourer. His wife, Harriet, is aged 31, born 1870 in Liverpool. They have six children living at the address and all born in Liverpool. William aged 8, born 1893, George aged 7, born 1894, Harriet aged 5, born 1896, Edward aged 4, born 1897, Harry aged 2, born 1899 and Margaret born in 1901. 

His father died aged just 38 in 1908. 

The 1911 Census shows Walter living at Church Road, Wavertree, Liverpool as a Scholar. The rest of the family have moved to 6 Boycott St, Everton. Widowed mother Harriet 41 is a char woman, children William Henry aged 18 a shipping clerk, George aged 17 a general labourer, Harriet aged 15, Alfred 7 at school, and Gladys 3. 

He enlisted in Prescot, Knowsley and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 26640 when he was killed in action on the 18th October 1916 aged 19 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

18^th Bn Diary

18^th October 1916

Attacked German trenches commencing 3.40 am. Relieved by 19^th Manchester Regt. Took up position in support Bn trenches W. of Goose Alley.

Graham Maddocks in his book Liverpool Pals gives an overview of the events of the day:

“At 3.40 am the whistles blew, and the Battalion left its assembly trenches, in three waves, approximately fifty yards apart, and began to cross No Man’s Land. Almost immediately, the German Barrage fell on the first wave and halted its advance, so that the second wave soon caught up with it. This was not a great problem at first, and the two combined waves were able to advance together for about 300 yards, whereupon they encountered the German Grid Trench system. On the right of the advance, it was found that the wire was largely intact, apart from a few gaps, and the Germans bombed and machine gunned these gaps, which prevented any further progress. Elsewhere along the trench, however, the wire was cut and there did not seem to be any serious opposition. Nevertheless, the men hesitated to jump down into the German trenches, and instead, began to filter back across to the safety of their own lines.

By this time the third wave had caught up, as had a fourth wave, which had been detailed to mop up any opposition once the trenches had fallen, and all four waves became intermingled which added to the confusion. No less than three attempts were made to try to get the men to go forward again, but each attempt became markedly less successful than its predecessor, and eventually the attack came to a standstill. Although the British assembly trenches had received the attention of the German guns, the attackers in No Mans Land had not come under any great intensity of fire up until this point.

However, once it became obvious to the Germans that the attack was disorganised and faltering, they began to fire into the massed men from the flanks. It was probably this that finally settled the issue and convinced the Pals that they could no longer gain the enemy trenches, and all four waves, now merged into one, began to retreat to their own lines. The whole attack had been an abysmal failure, and no ground had been gained at all”.               

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing fo the Somme, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Liverpool Daily Post - Wednesday 29 November 1916 

Wounded. 

King’s (Liverpool Regt.) - Linton, 26640, W.E. ; 

He is commemorated on the Blue Coat School War Memorial.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Harriet, 6 Boycott St, Everton 

Mother died aged 89 in 1959. 

We currently have no further information on Walter Edward Linton, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.